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Photo Courtesy - Getty Images(SEOUL, South Korea) -- South Korean Defense Minister Kim Tae-Young resigned Thursday, just days after an attack killed four people on a small island in a disputed territory. A new chief is expected to be announced on Friday.

The president’s office tells ABC News that the decision to accept Tae-Young’s resignation, which was offered back in March after the sinking of a South Korean warship, is an attempt to "change the mood".

Public opinion and local media Thursday has been full of criticism that the military's response to the attack on the island of Yeonpyong was slow and ineffective.

The South Korean government has pledged to strengthen the military base on Yeonpyong Island and on other islands in the west sea and will consider land-to-land missiles that could destroy North Korean weapons in cliffside bunkers.

Meanwhile, the U.S. has warned of destabilization in East Asia if North Korea continues to provoke its neighbors.

“It's a worrisome leadership in North Korea. He [Kim Jong Il] is a very unpredictable guy, a very dangerous guy,” said Adm. Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during an appearance on The View Wednesday.